DesCha

Central City

Central City is the largest city in Central Prefecture, Central, and the largest city in DesCha. It is also DesCha’s densest city; a 2010 estimate put its population between 2-3 million inhabitants (the largest of any city in the country). Central City is classified as a ‘world city’, and a key city in the Asia-Pacific region. The main airport serving Central City is Camden International Airport, and its main port is Quay Portside.

History

Humans have settled on the area that would become Central City since at least 10,000 BC. Modern settlement of the area began when the township of Gaudia was founded in 1705 by descendants of Portuguese missionaries who settled in the valleys. In 1801 the city was officially founded with the incorporation of the twenty original surrounding districts. Through amalgamation the number of districts was reduced to eighteen, and some were renamed, so that no district shares a first letter with any other district.

In 2001, a terrorist attack in the Junction district (killing 55 and injuring 120) forced the local government to declare martial law within the city limits, which lasted for two months.

In 2004, as a result of DEIMOS chief Kideiko laying siege to the city with the Black Diamond terrorist group, the city has been in a long phase of rebuilding.

Demographics

As the commercial centre of DesCha Central, Central City can be classified as multiethnic. The 2010 population census showed the racial makeup as 46.7% White, 42.9% Asian, 5.1% Pacific Islander, 4.2% Indigenous DesChan, 1.1% other races.

Urban Structure

Central City’s original charter comprised twenty districts whose boundaries are legislatively set in perpetuity (two districts were later merged into their adjacents in 1966 per a public referendum, creating a cith with only eighteen districts). Urban planning for each of the districts is dependent on the legislative assembly, but for the most part developed from existing cultural distinctives already present.

Parks and open spaces

As Allerton State Forest borders the city, Central City (like all other major DesChan cities) has immediate access to open spaces and forested area. Within the city centre and surrounding districts, numerous large parks act as greenways for residents. Gladwell Park, located just south of Downtown, is the largest park within city limits.

Architecture

As a result of the 2001 and 2004 terrorist attacks, the city has been replacing or rebuilding whole sections of the city. While heritage buildings are still numerous (including Mayor’s Square and the Hogan Bank Building), more modern buildings now dominate the skyline (chief among these NovaGen Tower and Corteo Tower) and new developments take on a heavy flavour of futurist and arcological form.

Economy

As the economic and commercial hub of DesCha, Central City is one of the wealthiest areas in the country. It also ranks amongst the top cities in living standards and reduction of poverty. Most of the city’s income is dependent on trade and business investment. To this end the Quay district serves as a trade hub, while Downtown serves as its economic centre. Corporations have set up their national corporate headquarters in the city since 1925, and the city is also home to the DesChan Stock Exchange (DSE). The nation’s largest shopping mall Mizuna Mall is located just east of Downtown in the Junction district.

Culture

As a multicultural metropolis, Central City enjoys great variety in its culture while remaining mostly free of ghettos. Instead, most districts tend to promote themselves as a reflection of one or another of the city’s cultural anchors, like Gaudia’s annual Portuguese Parade or Handel’s celebration of Oktoberfest.

Entertainment and performing arts

Central City is the current forefront for cultural development in the arts, with DesCha’s two renowned performance halls (the Worthington Theatre and Kajiura Hall) both located in the Downtown district. The Central Dance and Theatre Company is headquartered in Bell; numerous other performance troupes call Central City home. Due to the centrality of the various film and television studios in the city, most production companies also base their offices within the area.

Sport and outdoor activities

Association football is DesCha’s national sport, and representation in Central City is numerous, featuring two top tier teams and countless semi-professional and amateur clubs. Besides soccer, baseball and athletics are represented heavily. Central City’s parks system encourages inhabitants to engage in numerous outdoor activities; a 2011 survey put the number of residents within the city that participate in one or more outdoor activities as 86%.

Central City is friendly towards bicycle-users; the street layout throughout many districts contains specialised lanes for cyclists and pedestrian walkers.

Media

Central City is represented by two broadsheet newspapers. The Central Gazette is one of DesCha’s oldest newspapers, having been in circulation since the 1880s. Its competitor, the Centralia Post, has operated since 1914. Below them are a myriad of small tabloids.

The City Monthly is a monthly magazine whose primary focus is Central City.

Four national commercial television stations (MMN, CSM, R11, and D20) as well as the two government-managed national broadcast stations (DCB and RBS) are headquartered in Central City. Though their broadcast towers are located further away from the city, their administrative headquarters are scattered between the Camden, Kenner, and Downtown districts. Paid television services (such as those of FOX and SUN) are available throughout Central City and both companies are headquartered in Central City as well.

Myriad radio stations base themselves in the Central City area. Chief among these are rival stations 91.7 and 101.2 on FM, and numerous chat and talkback stations on AM.

Since 2004, all broadcast transmission in Central City has been digital. This extends to radio stations, all of whom supply full programming via DAB+ digital radio.

Government

Central City’s eighteen districts are represented by a councillor, forming a legislative assembly led by the Mayor of Central City, who is elected from the ruling party of the legislature. District elections are constitutionally held every four years. The legislative assembly of Central City is subject to that of the governor of DesCha Central, who is in turn subject to the federal government.

Infrastructure

Central City’s architecture has been carefully planned where possible, uniting all eighteen districts with a careful combination of unified utilities, extensive public transportation and strategic placement of large roads.

Health systems

Due to federal legislation, health systems in Central City are mostly public, although specialised care is still available via private companies. Local government funds all public health initiatives through tax revenue.

Transport

Central City is still partially reliant on automotive transport, although private car ownership in the city is amongst the lowest in the region. Overland rail connects to Central City mainly through Centralia and Gaudia stations, and an extensive metro transit system serves as the primary method of transport for the commuters, with an equally extensive bus network filling in any transport gaps.

Utilities

Central City boasts its use of renewable energy, with wind and solar plants less than 50k from the city centre. Additionally, the nation’s only nuclear fusion power plant feeds enough power into the grid that Central City (and, as a consequence, all other cities in DesCha Central) are actually in surplus for power availability, despite projected growth.